Whither Australia now?

PRAGUE – Czech citizens rallied in front of Prague’s Castle Monday in protest against militant Islamism and in support of Czech President Milos Zeman. … The public rally also called on the Czech government to maintain a fair and unbiased policy towards Israel, and referred to other countries – like Australia and Canada – that seek to do the same. June 23, 2014

Australian Christians please note: Czechs whose nation has a strong record of pro-Israel relations have observed your government’s recent statements concerning Israel and are calling on their government to continue to treat Israel fairly.

Call me a hopeless religious romantic – but it is apparent to me that a window of opportunity has opened through which Australia could enter into the abundant outpouring of heavenly blessing promised by God to any Gentile nation that blesses the nation of Israel.

For 25 years I have watched the international community construct a wall of agreement on how they view Israel’s presence in land that was under illegal Jordanian occupation until June 1967.

In the Six Day War of that year Jordan was militarily driven off of what it had labeled as “the West Bank” – which included eastern parts of Jerusalem – in Israel’s self-defense battle against four Arab states.

Since then, the Muslim-Arab world, with menacing mendacity, anti-Semitic misinformation, three-tiered economic boycotts and a myriad acts of murderous terrorism, has bullied the rest of the international community into supporting their demand that Israel give that land to the Palestinian Arabs.

One after the other these nations have, in turn, immorally surrendered to the blackmail for reasons of economic and political expediency – their own national interest.

The world has resultantly been welded into a near rock-solid front of opposition to Israel’s presence in the biblical heartland that constitutes the cradle of Jewish nationhood and the seedbed of Judeo-Christian civilization.

Only a handful of nations have had the guts – and then only intermittently – to stand up and counter what has been accurately labeled as ‘the big lie.’

Australia just joined their ranks.

As recently mentioned on this site, the Australian government riled the Arab-Islamic world when it dared adopt a less pro-Palestinian – i.e. more neutral – stance on Jewish towns and cities (AKA settlements) in Judea and Samaria. It followed this up by refusing to parrot the politically correct (but factually faulty) terminology that describes part of Israel’s capital as “Occupied East Jerusalem.”

Israel responded with genuine surprise and gratitude to the unexpected show of support from the uttermost part of the earth.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia had shown “clarity” and “courage” in declaring that eastern Jerusalem is not occupied.

“I am certain that all those who want to see an agreement here based on peace, justice and truth – and it is impossible to build peace based on historic lies – would agree” with Australia, he said.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said clearly Canberra was not willing to “try to please and pander to radical Islamist factors [which] are scaring anyone who dares to tell the truth regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”

He hoped other countries would have the integrity and nerve to follow Australia’s lead.

Another, unnamed, diplomatic official hailed “the sound of wisdom … from Australia” and hoped that “this sturdy common sense view” would propagate itself to other continents. However, he added, “Given the situation of international relations I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

Indeed, it was not unreasonable or unexpected for some observers who would have wanted to erupt with joy at Australia’s display of courage to view it with skepticism.

It poured out of veteran Zionist activist Michael Kuttner on June 20:

“When the media burst forth with the breathless news that Australia had officially decided to undesignate half of our capital plus Judea and Samaria as occupied I immediately became suspicious,” he began.

It had all sounded too good to be true and so it had been, he continued with bitter triumph, noting that the Australian government had quickly begun to buckle when “the shining democratic beacons of the Islamic world burst forth with demonic fury, threatening Australia with every conceivable sanction for its apparent moment of truthful revelation.”

The first “sign of rot” had manifested itself in a statement by Australia’s Ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, who, “strenuously asserted” that there had been no change in his government’s policy.

This had not satisfied “the PA bully boys” who continued to issue threats resulting in the “inevitable avalanche of appeasement” ending in “a craven retreat from what was at first perceived to be a bold and honest assessment of the status of Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.”

Concluded Kuttner glumly: “So now we are back to square one with Australia declaring no change in policy, the Attorney General overruled and pathetic support for the Hamas/Fatah Government continuing.”

Fellow Christians, we may understand the man’s despondency, and may be tempted to share his skepticism, but we shouldn’t succumb to it.

The Abbott government will be in office for a long time yet. Your next federal elections are not until January 2017. This battle has only begun.

See how your, and Israel’s, enemies view it. As an Asian Times feature stated on June 20, the credibility of [Prime Minister Tony] Abbott’s and [Foreign Minister Julie] Fisher’s “denial of ‘change’ could hardly be plausible.”

The paper gave Palestinian “Foreign Minister” Riyad al-Maliki a platform from which to slam the “radical change in the Australian position on Palestine;” the head of the Palestinian Arab delegation to Canberra, Izzat Abdulhadi, described it as “very provocative”.

Yes, this battle – under this Australian government, is only now going to get underway.

The question becomes – how do we read what is really happening in Australia, and how do we – as Christians who believe in the eternal ramifications of Gentile nation to Jewish nation relations – respond to what we see?

Let us not be discouraged or deflected by the news, but rather respond with prayer, and with whatever action we are inspired to. We can all do something. In the past 48 hours, this writer alone has petitioned, directly or via third parties, Canadian, Czech and American politicians to take a stand in solidarity with Australia’s adjusted position. The statement above, released by the organizers of a rally held in Prague on Monday evening, is a result of this effort.

Australian individuals and organizations, many of whom work tirelessly for the love of Zion, can accomplish a great deal more.

You don’t need me to tell you that God has used your country before to, in a major way, facilitate His purposes for Israel.

Australia played a central and essential part in liberating the Land of Israel from its 400-year-long Turkish-Islamic masters. It cost you dear as, out of a population of fewer than five million, more than 60,000 were killed.

In World War Two – as part of the allied effort to stop Hitler from realizing his demonic dream of a Jew-free world and a 1000-year Reich, 27,000 Australians laid down their lives.

It is true that not all Australian governments have been supportive of Israel. Some – like the previous one – have been downright hostile.

But today, under Prime Minister Abbott and Foreign Minister Bishop – whether they realize it or not – your country has at the very least made a move in the right direction.

Instead of dithering, why not come in hard and fast behind them, seizing the opportunity they have created – possibly unwittingly – to open the windows of blessing over your land?

Where are you headed, Australia? The answer could lie in what your Bible-believing Christians choose to do, today.